Genesis 42:21

Then Joseph’s brothers talked to each other in their own language. They said, “You know, a long time ago, we made bad trouble for our brother Joseph. We chucked him into a big hole in the ground, and then we sold him to some men from the Midian tribe. At that time, we saw that he was really frightened, and he asked us strongly to be good to him, but we didn’t listen. That’s the reason why we’ve got this bad trouble now. God is punishing us for those things that we did to Joseph.”

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

In Context

20Then get your youngest brother, and bring him here to me. Then I will know that you told me the true story, and I will not kill you.” So Joseph’s brothers agreed to do what he said. But they still didn’t know that he was their brother Joseph. They still thought he was an Egypt man.

22Then Joseph’s oldest brother Reuben, he said to the others, “You know, I told you mob not to hurt Joseph, but you didn’t listen to me. And look, now God is doing payback to us.”

Read all of Genesis 42

Cross References

Genesis 37:23Then Joseph got to his brothers. He was wearing that special coat that his father gave him. So Joseph’s brothers pulled that special coat off him.

Genesis 41:9Pharaoh’s wine-boss was there, and he remembered that time when he had a dream in the jail, and he remembered that Joseph told him what his dream meant. So that wine-boss said to Pharaoh, “Sir, now I remember a time that I did the wrong thing.

2 Samuel 12:13David said to Nathan, “I’m sorry. I did wrong things. I did not listen to God.” Nathan said, “Yes, that’s true. But he will not do payback to you. He will let it go, he will not kill you dead.

Matthew Henry on Genesis 42:8-21

Joseph Speaks Roughly to His Brethren. ( b. c. 1706.) 7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. 8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them, Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 10 And they said unto him, Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 42:21